Heat Transfer in The Energy Storage During Solidification

Abstract

Phase-change materials combined with thermal energy storage technology can improve energy efficiency. This study aims to analyse heat transfer in thermal energy storage tanks under solidification conditions. This involves developing storage tanks with three different numbers of paraffin balls: 4, 6, and 8 balls) in the TES tank. The tanks were designed for residential use, and the analysis will use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approaches to evaluate heat transfer efficiency. This comprehensive investigation seeks to optimise the configuration and operation of PCM-based thermal energy storage systems for residential applications. Increasing the number of paraffin balls resulted in a more uniform temperature distribution and a larger total heat transfer rate due to the larger surface area available for heat transfer; however, fewer paraffin balls led to a more significant pressure drop in the tank. Based on these findings, it is suggested to use a TES tank with a larger number of paraffin balls to improve heat transfer efficiency and temperature uniformity in residential applications.